About This Site
Werc
Werc is a minimalist web anti-framework built following the Unix and Plan 9 tool philosophy of software design.
Werc avoids the pain of managing collections of websites and developing web applications.
- Database free, uses files and directories instead.
- Written using the rc shell, leveraging the standard Unix/Plan 9 core utilities.
- Uses Markdown for writing. Markdown-to-HTML parser used can either a
script be written in
shor a package from the server’s OS’ package manager. - Very minimalist yet extensible codebase: highly functional core is 150 lines, with extra functionality in modular apps.
The rc shell differs considerably from the modern POSIX
sh. Nevertheless, with relatively few lines of codes making
up this framework, it makes it straightforward to inspect, audit, hack
and modify as per the need arises.
Why I Chose Werc
When setting up this portfolio or resume site, the common choice would have been to use a modern Static Site Generator like Hugo. In fact, I tried Hugo. But after wrestling with it, I realized that modern web development often forces us into workflows that serve the tool rather than the creator.
Instead, I chose Werc, a minimalist, dynamic CGI system built on Plan 9 design principles.
Here is why I walked away from the mainstream static site approach and why Werc is perfect.
1. The Obsidian Workflow Friction
My entire digital brain lives inside Obsidian. I write notes, document technical projects, and draft blog posts across a deeply organized hierarchy of folders.
Hugo demands a very strict content architecture. To pair a post with
its images, Hugo pushes you toward “Page Bundles” (structuring every
single post into its own dedicated folder containing an
index.md and asset files). Trying to force my Obsidian
vault into Hugo’s rigid directory rules broke my note-taking
ecosystem.
Werc, by contrast, respects the filesystem as the single source of truth. It doesn’t care how I organise my folders or where I store my media assets. Because Werc maps the server’s directory structure directly to the website’s URLs, my live site is a literal mirror of my local vault. I don’t have to change how I think or how I note-take just to publish my work.
2. Eliminating the Arbitrary “Build Step”
Hugo is famous for being fast, but it still requires a compilation step. You edit text, a local server compiles it, you push it to Git, and a CI/CD pipeline compiles it again on a remote server.
Werc is elegantly old-school. It completely avoids the build pipeline by dynamically rendering standard text files on the fly via CGI scripts. There is no build step because there is nothing to build. If I want to update a documentation page, fix a typo in a blog post, or add a project to my portfolio, I simply sync the raw Markdown file to the server. The moment the file lands, it is live.
3. Freedom from Bloated Themes
If you look at the ecosystem of modern static site generators, you are often faced with a choice: spend days stripping down a heavily over-engineered, prebuilt theme, or spend days learning a complex (proprietary) templating language just to build a layout from scratch.
Werc is beautiful in its esoterism. Its entire design philosophy is rooted in pure UNIX minimalism. The site layout is controlled by a single global HTML master template and a plain CSS stylesheet. Because it parses raw Markdown directly into standard HTML without requiring complex configuration files or mandatory YAML front-matter metadata, I have absolute control over the visual presentation without any hidden framework bloat.
4. Readability
Portfolios and websites aplenty focuses on the frontend: how good their corner of the internet looks like. Such requirements require additional packages, scripts and dependencies which amounts to a system bloated and potentially one with an increased attack surface.
On the backend, the scripts & filesystems, whatnot, as aforementioned can be easily audited.
On the frontend, Werc focuses on the website’s readability. No unnecessary graphical elements distracting from the main intent.
Conclusion
Choosing Werc wasn’t just about embracing a niche tool; it was a deliberate choice to align my publishing environment with my daily creative environment. By eliminating the friction between my notes and my website, Werc allows me to spend less time managing a content management system and more time actually writing and documenting.
Don’t get me started on Wordpress.